We made it!!!

We made it to Vienna afterall! We arrived at the airport about three hours early. Good thing too. We had to wait in line to check in for over an hour and a half. Terminal B at Newark was crazy! British Airways was trying to accommodate confirmed passengers--like us--and standby. It amazes me how irate people can get sometimes. Some of the confirmed passengers were getting angry about the wait time for check in. Seriously? Some of the standby people had been waiting since Thursday. We made it through the check-in line only to wait almost another hour in the security line. So we came out of security and there before me was a Samuel Adams Brewery. Oh man it was calling my name after all that waiting with a three year old--who was pretty well behaved considering all the waiting but still. Alas I did not have time to indulge--it was already time to board.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do with the stroller. Usually when flying within the US, the airline gives me a gate check ticket. We leave the stroller at the end of the jetway and when we get to the next stop it magically appears at the end of the jetway for us. Well with international flying apparently you bring it on board and the flight attendant puts the stroller in the wardrobe. I like that.

AND I love love love European airlines. I sat in my big cozy seat (in coach) and waiting for me was a goody bag with a sleep mask, socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, headphones, a blanket, and a pillow. Sweet. We settled in and we were off. Mary watched tv and she fell asleep before they served dinner. I had ordered her a special child's meal but the only thing about her meal that was better than mine was that it came with a Kit Kat. Otherwise I think she would have liked my meal better. After that I crashed as well.

We woke up around five am (British time) for breakfast and to get ready to land. Again my meal was so much better than the child's meal. Lesson learned on that one. We landed in London a little after six am. Heathrow was very quiet. I was thinking maybe because of the volcano, but I think it was because it was so early. By the time we were boarding for Vienna, it was definitely picking up. Heathrow seemed so much nicer and not near as crazy as I remembered. Mary and I strolled through some stores. We went to Starbucks and then waited to board our plane. We had to take a bus to a different terminal and Mary was swinging around the pole--like she always does--that you hang on to and sure enough the bus took a turn and she fell on the floor. It must have been pretty hard because she has a serious bruise on her cheek. Great it looks like I beat my child--and at the start of the vacation. Now it will be in all the pictures. Which speaking of pictures--I totally forgot my camera battery charger and my battery is almost dead. I packed so well too and I forgot it. I am so angry at myself! I did find one in the airport in London, but I can't plug it in in Austria. So I guess I will be looking for one in the morning. That is so frustrating!!!

We boarded for Vienna around nine am and again I just took the stroller on the plane with me and put it in the overhead compartment or as they say on British Airways, I placed the stroller in the "locker." Again Mary and I slept and then we landed in Vienna. So I was hoping that with my smart packing (minus the fact that I forgot the camera battery charger--doh) we could just take the train into the city and save some money, but Mary was so tired and so done, there was no way. I was not up to carrying everything and Mary either. So we got a taxi and it had a car seat too. After a short ride we made it to our hotel. It is perfect--in the Museumsquarter--so that is close to everything! I am very pleased with how everything worked out and Mary was so good. She definitely had some moments but overall was super good.

When we got to the room, Mary wanted to go outside and walk around and see everything. However she was so whiney and she just kept crying about things that I thought it would be best for us to take a short nap. Not too long or it will be hard to wake up and get used to the time difference. So we slept a little over two hours. Then we got dressed, freshened up a bit, and left the hotel. I always worry a little that Vienna will not be as good as I remember it. Not so! It is still definitely one of my favorite cities in the world. The weather is gorgeous--mid 60s and sunny. The city is just beautiful--I love it!!! We walked by the museums and through the Hofburg. We walked down Graben and then to Stephansplatz. Mary saw Stephansdom and said, "is that building old or something?" When I told her it was over a thousand years old, I don't think she could quit grasp that. So cool to be here with her, but at the same time I can't really give her an art history lesson. She's just a little young to explain some things to. I am also thinking of Chris a lot because I always wanted to bring him here and show him everything--it is fun showing Mary though. She thinks it's amazing and teaching her some German is fun too.

We ate at this super hip cafe-restaurant called Ella's. They serve "Mediterranean soul food." Okay so we didn't have Austrian food on our first night, but I had a glass of Austrian red wine called a Blaufrankisch. It was delightful. Ella's looked way nice and I was a little worried about having Mary in there, but our waiter was so awesome. He brought Mary some paper and a cup of color pencils and some crayons. He was very patient with my German and let Mary practice her German on him as well. The chef sent out some little appetizers for us to try. Mary's was this yogurty, cucumberish, concoction wrapped in a pastry. She ate them in nothing flat. Mine was sort of like sashimi but on a cracker with a seafood soup. Mary ate half of mine too (I really hope the soup didn't have shellfish--Yikes). She WAS hungry. Then we had this appetizer that was buffalo mozzerella in apricot seed oil (it is apricot season here) and a basil sorbet. So good--it also had tomatoes and roasted bell peppers. Mary thought that the olive was a grape. I tried to tell her, but she wanted to eat it anyway. She just made this awful face and said yuck! She proceeded to spit it out on the plate. Yeah she gets that from me. I love olive oil but hate olives--Yuck! For dinner we both had spaghetti. Sounds boring, but it was really good as well. It was such a nice dinner. I seriously love how Europeans take their time with dinner. There was so much time between each course and you just don't feel rushed. I bought Mary a Leapster to keep her busy mainly at the airport or on the airplane, but she got it out and was playing it. I wasn't sure this was a good idea at the dinner table, but I got to take my time and eat and enjoy my meal and my wine, so I didn't mind it too much.

After dinner, I promised Mary that we could go get gelato. So of course we went to Zanoni and Zanoni, which by the way there are more locations since I lived here. I guess things change after eleven years. Mary picked my favorite flavor--pistachio. What with the olives and the ice cream--she DOES take after me a little bit. So we both got gelato and then walked back to the hotel. Vienna is just as beautiful at night with all the amazing buildings all lit up. As much as I love Vienna, I have never considered it a very friendly city. What a change it is with a child. I would have never guessed, but people stop to talk to Mary (in German of course)--especially when she is carrying a giant cone of gelato, or they even smile at us--gasp! What a pleasant surprise. By the time we made it back to the hotel, I think most of Mary's gelato was dripping down the front of her jacket. I realized I did not bring near enough Shout wipes to last this trip. Oh well. So far I am loving this trip--I did not make this vacation long enough! Of course I may think differently by next Tuesday.